Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Interview with Master Perfumer Harry Fremont

While most people are familiar with perfume names and brands, few know the names behind the scents, or understand the workings of the master perfumer commissioned to create the scents that many of us swear by daily.

Mr. Fremont and I spoke about his past projects, his vision as a Master Perfumer, and his love for creating.

Harry Fremont is not a man of many words, he didn't strike me as the type chasing fame or looking to be in the spotlight. What Fremont made clear was his passion for his art, his desire to continuously push himself to create quality product and his ability to bottle energy, emotions, and beauty.

One of the main focuses of Swagger 360 has been to inspire. It is not only those that I photograph on the street that are a source of (stylish) inspiration to me, it's also those behind the brands, the visionaries, the artists, and the businessmen/women who push me to be more passionate about my art. It is these ladies and gentlemen who embody swagger - because it's about more than a brand for them, it's a lifestyle. It continues to be my pleasure to visit and share with you Street Style that goes beyond the streets. I present to you Mr. Harry Fremont, Master Perfumer from the Firmenich International Fragrance Center (1 of 3 companies that produce 80% of all fragrances worldwide).

For those who don't know can you explain what is the Firmenich International Fragrance Center?Very few houses have their own perfumers. People go to suppliers to create the perfume. They have the color, emotion, feel and name in mind, houses like Firmenich (there are very few) work with the client to develop what they want, and create the final product.

What's a Master Perfumer?I've been in the business for over 30 years, in 2000 I received the title Master Perfumer. A Master Perfumer is considered one who is ground breaking within the industry, it's about what you bring and your overall understanding of the business.

What's the point in what you do?After September 11th I questioned things. While having a conversation with a co-worker, he mentioned that people needed to be happy and feel good - I do this for those reasons. Smell is a crucial part of who we are - with no smell, we can't taste. People also identify things and experiences with smell. Smell can take you back and help relive those memories.

I've read that being born in Cannes, France, you've been around beauty all your life.Cannes inspires. The flowers, fields, that's where it all started for me.

On June 28th. 2010 Firmenich was proud to publicly announce that The Fragrance Foundation had recently presented the 'Perfume Extraordinaire of the year' FIFI Award to Firmenich and you, Master Perfumer. * The FIFI Award is considered the Oscar for the perfume industry.That was an amazing experience. The Tom Ford Grey Vetiver project was recognized and I am extremely proud of that. It showed that quality was not forgotten.

How do you create a perfume?3 elements come into me creating a perfume.Inspiration, What a client wants, Women.

Inspiration:I draw inspiration via nature.

What a client wants:Here we listen to the client to understand what they're looking for and we reproduce it.

Women:I think about the woman who's going to wear the fragrance. I think about what they would want a man to wear.

Where do you start?Companies come with ideas. They let you know what they're looking for, if the fragrance be it sexy, sensual, energetic, etc. We then begin to translate what they say using the material we have accessible for the project.

I've looked at the list of perfumes you've created, how did you come to work with 50 Cent which seems to be an unexpected collaboration?As a perfumer, you create many possibilities. The potential client chooses what they like and from there you work to make it his. It's about creating a product and hopefully the potential client feels it's what they're looking for.

What was the process with 50 Cent?The first things that come to mind are Dangerous, Dark, Energetic, but he's quite funny and lighter than you'd think. With the Power fragrance, it was about combining everything and creating something that was masculine, nice, and fun. Trying to capture his personality.

How do you choose the ingredients in general?It depends on what the client wants. They may want something woodsy, fresh, invigorating, enjoyable. There are key scents that fit each feel and emotion.

What's the core value of a fragrance?You smell it!

What do you wear?Tom Ford Grey VetiverRaplh Lauren Purple Label

Any last words?I would like to create that perfect scent.

If anyone can do it, it will be Harry Fremont.

Side notes:

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver received three FiFi's in the "Best Men's Fragrance in the Luxury/Exclusive" categories in the U.S., U.K. and Germany respectively.

Firmenich is the world's largest privately owned company (No.2 worldwide) in the fragrance and flavor business. Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, it has created many of the world's best-known perfumes and flavors that we enjoy each day.

In addition to the Perfume Extraordinaire Award of the Year, perfume brands created with Firmenich fragrances received a total of six 2010 FiFi® Awards in New York, and sixteen worldwide. Photo of Harry Fremont courtesy of the Firmenich International Fragrance Center

2 page spread in Arise Magazine

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SWAGGER

The thing that makes you stand out in a crowded room without being forced, fabricated or pretentious.Swagger is that smile in the face of adversity knowing that obstacles only make the road more interesting.SWAGGER 360 is for everyone who understands that there is a big difference between style and fashion. Fashion is what you buy, style is self expression and how you live.

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DO'S AND DON'TS OF THE GENTLEMAN

- A gentleman does not make idle threats.

- A gentleman does not brag.

- A gentleman does not whine.

-A gentleman knows how to use a dictionary.

-A gentleman accepts a compliment by saying, "Thank you. It's nice of you to tell me that." When a friend tells him, "That's a good-looking tie. Jim", a gentleman does not respond by saying "this old thing? I was almost ashamed to bring it out." Such remarks imply that the person paying the compliment has questionable taste.

- Whenever possible, a gentleman stays away from sore subjects.

from the book:How To Be A Gentlemanby: John Bridges

THINGS TO KNOW:

HOW TO POLISH A SHOE

1.

Wipe your shoes down with a damp cloth to remove any superficial dirt and stains.

2.

Wet the welt brush and scrub out the entire welt strip.

3.

Apply sole-edge dressing - carefully, if the shoe should need it. If you get it on the upper, it will strain them permanently. Let the edge dressing dry before moving to the next step.

4.

Apply polish, using a circular rubbing motion. No need to overdo it, no need to be too gentle. the more you rub, the better the final outcome. Let the polish dry, it'll take about 5 minutes.

5.

Buff the entire shoe with a polishing brush. for that extra touch, hold the shoe between your knees and both the shoe applying a little muscle using a lint-free cloth.

A GENTLEMAN'S ESSENTIALS

While big boys are measured by the size of their toys, Gentlemen are measured by a different set of standards. Without going into the semantics of who is a Gentleman (right now,) SWAGGER 360 will offer a list of ‘essentials’ for the modern day Gentleman.

-A pair of DRESS SHOES (1 black, 1 brown…. Gym shoes ARE NOT dress shoes no matter how much they cost.)

- A BESPOKE SUIT ( if you can’t do bespoke, at least bring your off the rack suit to a good tailor.)

- A good TAILOR

- A POWER WATCH (nothing speaks as loudly of a man as his watch…except everything else on this list.)

- A TOP COAT (Nothing looks more ridiculous than a man in a suit and bubble or leather coat.)

- A CARRYING BAG (Leave the back pack for the 23 and under crowd.)

- A FOUNTAIN PEN (When they said “the pen is mightier than the sword”, they weren’t talking about a ball point.)

- A MONEY CLIP and CARD HOLDER (Leave the wallet at home with all the unnecessary papers in it ….sleek is the word.)

- A WHITE DRESS SHIRT (Always have one of these ready, you can never go wrong with a crisp white shirt.)

LET'S TALK WINE (A MATTER OF TASTE) - lesson 101

Wine will fall under one of four major types: red, white, rose' (also called blush), and champagne. Generally when dining, the usual choices are either red or white. Champagne is in a category by itself and a story in itself as well. Rose is the least 'serious' between the four and generally advised for a fun day in the sun.

The first thing that distinguishes wine is the obvious ... the color, then the difference between sweet and dry wines, wine regions, and vintages.

THE COLOR

The main difference between red and white wine is that red wine contains skins, seeds, and stem. The reason these things are left in the making of red wine is to allow them to mix with the juice with maceration (woody bits) causing the finish product to contain tannin (the woody taste). It is precisely the tannin that allows red wine to acquire its complexity. as a rule of thumb, red wines are heavier and more complex than white wines. Because white wines tend to be sweeter and palatable, beginners are often guided towards them.

Anyone can make wine almost anywhere, but some places have obviously learned how to process their wine better than others. The Safest best are still France, Italy, California (the only place in America worth investing in ... wine-wise of course).

(of course these regions produce other wines, but it'll be up to you to sit and sip your way to full knowledge).

VINTAGES

Mother nature determines the great years and the average years. It is the weather that determines the amount of sugar in the grape juice, when it's picked, the kick and other characteristics. The rain that falls around the time of the harvest usually determines the amount of sugar in the grapes. Ultimately vintages are what experienced wine drinkers look for. Find out what years produced the best harvest and enjoy. Check out the chart of WINE ENTHUSIAST magazine www.wineenthusiast.com